Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Today is a great day in Georgia! Governor Sonny Perdue signed SB27 making it law. This bill, written and supported by Georgia Civil War Commission members that are also SCV members, makes April permanently Confederate History and Heritage Month per state law. Georgia is the first state in the Union to have such legislation. As many people are aware, governors are not required to proclaim April as Confederate History and Heritage Month, and many times do not for one reason or another. In Georgia that will not be an issue no matter what the political allies of the governor has.

I would like to thank Governor Perdue for signing this bill, and for signing proclamations for Robert E. Lee's and Jefferson Davis' bicentennial birthdays declaring the year in each individual's honor. Senator Bulloch, Senator Mullis, Senator Hooks, Senator Balfour, Rep. Benton, Rep. Bearden, Rep. Powell, and Rep. Keown also deserve our thanks as key players in supporting the bill. There are many others that deserve thanks because they supported the bill by their vote, but due to space I will not list them. I would urge each of you to send thank you note to any or all of these individuals.

Deo Vindice!Charles Kelly BarrowCmdr, Army of Tennessee"Focus on the Future Through Honoring the Past"

Auburn Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell said Tuesday he would wait to submit a resolution to the Auburn City Council asking that all city cemeteries abide by uniform regulations.Dowdell said the resolution would address the issue of flags placed on graves and how long they could stay.

He touched off a storm of controversy last week when he removed a handful of Confederate battle flags that had been placed on soldiers’ graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in observance of Confederate Memorial Day.

He said the flags were offensive and represented racism to him and others.Dowdell said he would not address the cemetery issue at the next council meeting but would “let the dust settle.” He said he would present the resolution soon, certainly before Memorial Day. Meanwhile, Auburn Assistant Police Chief Tommy Dawson said Tuesday no criminal complaints regarding the removal of the flags or alleged threats against Dowdell had been filed.Dawson said for the police to make an arrest in a misdemeanor - with a few exceptions - an officer has to observe the incident or a report must be filed by someone who was involved or saw it happen.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

While we have an ongoing Heritage Violation in Auburn, AL I am glad to report that an incident in Texas has been resolved. In Abiliene, TX flags that had been placed on the graves of our honored dead in a city cemetery were removed by the city park department. However, after the SCV spoke with the park department they relized that an error had been made and offered to place the flags on the graves themselves and to place April in the park department Cemetery Procedures Manual that as Confederate History and Heritage Month.

Congratulations to our compatriots in Abilene, TX and also to the park department for quickly recognizing and correcting the effor in a friendly and professional manner. Photos of the cemetery decorated with grave marker flags can be seen in the link below.

Perhaps a rouge city councilman in Auburn, AL could take a lesson from Abiliene?.

By now I think most of you have heard about the truly evil action of an official in Auburn. Below is a release and request for action from Alabama Division Commander Reames. Please read carefully and proceed as I know you can!Deo VindiceChuck McMichaelCiC-SCVscvcic72@gmail.com

Please find below a press Release from the Alabama Division Sons of Confederate Veterans that will go out in the mail today to The local District Attorney, Alabama Attorney General, and U.S. Chief Judge for the Middle District of Alabama.

I have consulted with Alabama Division Judge Advocate Philip Davis on the matter and he informs me that for us to get the District Attorney and Attorney General to act, they will need political pressure to do so.

To accomplish this I am calling for an intense letter writing campaign to the Fouroffices below. Please keep your letters civil, but firm.

There is a very real likelihood that further calls for other action will be soon forthcoming. The Alabama Division SCV will do everything in our power to bring this miscreant to justice.

The Alabama Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, repudiates thelawless behavior of Auburn City Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell in removing ConfederateMemorial Flags from veteran's graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn, AL. Confederate veteran graves are to be lawfully respected as any other American veteran graves, according to United States Congressional Law.

Councilman Dowdell stated the flags were offensive to him. He thenbroke Alabama state law when he trespassed on private property, anddesecrated sacred burial sites, and that is offensive to us.

By stealing and destroying the flag that was placed on a veteran'sgrave, in the very presence of his descendant, Councilman Dowdellviolates every tenet of decent human behavior. He showed a dangerous propensity for taking the law into his own hands, an action that will not be tolerated or otherwise encouraged in others.

We believe this crime was motivated by hate, and want to see justicedone. We are requesting that the local District Attorney prosecuteCouncilman Dowdell to the fullest extent of the law, and if need be,we are counting on the Alabama Attorney General to see that the lawsof Alabama are upheld. Further, we would like to see FederalProsecuting Attorneys convict Dowdell for violating United States hatecrime laws.

Mary Norman was shocked Thursday afternoon when Auburn CouncilmanArthur L. Dowdell pulled up a Confederate flag placed on her great-grandfathers'sgrave and snapped it in half, she said.

Dowdell, who denies snapping the flag, said Thursday he was picking up his daughter from Auburn Junior High School near the cemetery when several people told him they had a problem with the flags. He drove to the cemetery and started pulling up flags, he said. "It's offensive to me,"he said. "To me, it represents the Ku Klux Klan andracism."

The United Daughters of the Confederacy placed the flags earlier this week, as they have done for 50 years, in preparation for a celebration Sunday of Confederate Memorial Day, Norman said.

Confederate Memorial Day will be celebrated as a state holiday in Alabama Monday."I really didn't know exactly how to respond to him," she said. "I happen to bea member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. "I was very surprised, especially (as he is) a city councilman. I was amazed."

Norman was not personally involved in placing the flags. "I'm a historian," she said. "We're not about hate, we're not about anything like that. We just want to honor our state's rights, and I've got Confederate ancestors, and I feel we should have the ability to do that."

Norman and a friend were takin g inventory of graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn when Dowdell drove up and asked who put up the flags, she said. "One of the flags had been placed on my great grandfather's grave, who was a Confederate soldier," Norman said. "He just got very upset, and he went over to my great grandfather's grave, picked up the flag and broke it in two."

She said Dowdell did not know the plot she stood on was her family's. The flags wereplaced on soldiers' graves as a mark of respect, she said. He pulled up Confederate flags from other soldiers' graves, too, she said. Dowdell said in his years as councilman, he had never seen so many Confederate flags in one place.

"I'm going on the record that this will never happen again," Dowdell said. "Thiswill never happen again as long as I'm on the city council." Dowdell denied intentionally snapping the flag. "It might have snapped itself," he said. "If it did, so what? If I had my way, I would have broke them all up and stomped on them and burned them. That flag represents another country, another nation."

Auburn Mayor Bill Ham said he was unaware of any incidents at the cemetery but said he talked with Dowdell Thursday afternoon. Ham said his understanding was that all city cemeteries have covenants governing how and what types of decorations can be placed on graves, except for Pine Hill because it is so old. Ham said he believed Dowdell asked an assistant city manager to look into making policies equal for cemeteries across the city.

"The bottom line is those grave plots are deeded property," Ham said. "We sellthose. So they are sold to the family of the individuals, and I think (plot owners) have a right to do exactly what they did, according to the city attorney."Ham said in his conversation with Dowdell, the councilman suggested the flags be placed on the graves for a shorter period of time, perhaps for 24 hours before the event.

For now, the remaining flags will stay on the graves because of the lack of covenant governing Pine Hill, Ham said. But that could change in coming years."I certainly think we need to be consistent in all the cemeteries with whatever the policy is, not only with this, but with everything," Ham said. "The council has got to make that decision."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AlabamaCode on desecration of venerated objects.

Section 13A-11-12Desecration of venerated objects.(a) A person commits the crime of desecration of venerated objects if he intentionally:(1) Desecrates any public monument or structure or place of worship or burial; or(2) Desecrates in a public place the United States or Alabama flag orany other object of veneration by the public or a substantial segment thereof.(b) Desecration of venera ted objects is a Class A misdemeanor.(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §5555.)

U.S. Federal LawPublic Law 85-425 passed on May 23, 1958 states: .......the term "veteran" includes a person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States ofAmerica during the Civil War.....

OFFICIAL SCVNEWS POSTSCVNews and SCV Telegraph are Copyrighted1999-2008, Sons of Confederate Veterans.The SCV Telegraph Mailing List is for OfficialSCV Use ONLY.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Despite recent controversy surrounding Confederate battle flags at an Auburn cemetery, the Confederate Memorial Day service at Pine Hill Cemetery on Sunday went smoothly as planned.

Only one sign of the controversy was evident Sunday afternoon - an Auburn police patrol car parked near the cemetery. A police car was also present at the old Auburn train depot where a smaller ceremony took place later Sunday.

The dispute began Thursday after Auburn City Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell removed a handful of Confederate flags from grave sites at the cemetery, saying they offended him and others and were reminders of racism. Since then, Auburn Mayor Bill Ham released a statement saying Dowdell’s actions do not represent the city’s position and the graves are deeded, private property. Other Auburn council members expressed disapproval, as well. By Sunday night, more than 400 comments had been posted at http://www.oanow.com on the topic, and more than 3,700 votes had been cast in the site’s online poll. The majority expressed their disapproval of removing the flags.Auburn police said Sunday no reports regarding the incident had been filed.Sunday, the United Daughters of the Confederacy Admiral Semmes Chapter 57 of Auburn led the Pine Hill Cemetery service with poems, a history of the chapter and a roll call of the 75 Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery. Approximately 70 people, many sporting the Confederate flag on their clothes, stood while a string band played “Dixie.”

Confederate Memorial Day is celebrated as a state holiday today.The chapter has placed small Confederate flags on the Pine Hill graves of Confederate soldiers for years, chapter president Mary Potts said.Potts said she thought the recent debate over the flags placed on the graves is “unfortunate.”

Potts said the chapter placed the flags on Confederate soldiers’ graves as a sign of respect. “I think it’s unfortunate that they don’t understand our purpose,” she said. “It’s not racist at all. It’s part of our history, and we want to preserve that history as it was.”

Along with history, the chapter focuses on veterans, including making donations to the veterans’ home in Tuskegee, she said.

In a separate service, approximately a dozen people gathered at the old Auburn train depot later Sunday afternoon to remember the Auburn Guards, a group of Confederate soldiers for which that organizing chapter of the UDC is named.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

TAMPA — They came from Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and all parts of Florida. They wore images of the Confederate flag on their shirts, purses, hats, bracelets and bikini tops.

On Saturday, Tampa was the epicenter of Dixie.

More than 1,000 people visited the site of one of the largest Confederate flags in the world, at the junction of Interstate 4 and Interstate 75, to celebrate its dedication and watch Confederate re-enactors raise a new 30- by 60-foot battle flag.

During the daylong event, they clapped along to country music and chanted back, "Yes, we will!" Obama-rally style, to the men on stage who fired them up with Southern pride.

"It's not enough to raise the Confederate flag," Georgia pastor John Weaver proclaimed into a microphone. "We must raise Confederates!"

The flag, first raised in June, has divided some members of the community. Many say it stands for slavery and racism, and several Hillsborough County commissioners suggested a compromise. Maybe the Sons of Confederate Veterans could fly an American flag and on special occasions raise the Confederate flag, they said.

"There was no compromise," said Marion Lambert, who owns the land the flag is on. "And as soon as they realized there was no compromise, they shut us off."

On Saturday, visitors filled the field across from the tiny memorial park, where the 139-foot flagpole stands. The project took more than four years and $100,000. It will cost even more over time because they'll have to replace flags as they become tattered, Lambert said.

Several dozen Confederate re-enactors set up canvas tents and talked about ancestors who fought in the Civil War.

The flag isn't about racism, said Robert Wilson, 46, of St. Johns. He said he's sad to see what certain groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, have made it. "We're not here to hate on people," he said. "We're all Americans, and we're equal."

Just after 4 p.m., 34 men slowly marched to the flagpole with the giant flag. When it was a third of the way up, people started cheering and clapping.

"Let 'er fly!" a man yelled.

Carol Grimmer, 65, of Clearwater, decked out in a sequined Confederate-flag vest and cap, snapped a photo through her tears. She has found nine Confederate soldiers in her family.

"They did not die for nothing, because we'll never forget them," she said.

Her daughter, Becky Grimmer, 28, stood nearby in an antebellum-style dress with hoops. In one hand, she held a delicate white lace parasol. In the other, she dabbed tears with a lavender handkerchief.

"The South never smelled so sweet," she said, her eyes on the flag.

Tampa's flag, the third raised through the Flags Across Florida project, won't be the last, said John Adams, the co-chairman of the project. "We'll keep putting them up," he said.

But first, they'll take a short break. It was an exhausting project.

Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@sptimes.com or (813) 661-2443.

The tent shelter set up earlier in the day was also feeling the effects of the wind. Several members of the Northeast Arkansas Southern Heritage Foundation weighted and protected brochures and other items on display.

Danny Honnoll of the Robert G. Shaver Camp 1655 Sons of Confederate Veterans said the organization was formed to educate people about the War Between the States and Southern heritage.

Honnoll noted that the flag commonly called the Confederate Flag depicts the Southern Cross, but it was not the only one flown during the Civil War.

“This is not a flag of hatred,” Honnoll said. “It is a symbol of our heritage. We’re not here to fly it in anyone’s face, but to talk about our heritage and the historical aspects of that period of time.”

Unit flag replicas on display Saturday included the flag of the Army of Virginia, a green Irish Brigade flag, the Gen. Richard Taylor battlefield flag (also known as the Trans-Mississippi flag), the Bonnie Blue flag with a white star in a blue field, the Missouri Battle Flag and flags of the Sixth and Seventh Arkansas Infantries. Honnoll also had the 30th Arkansas unit flag, a unit that consisted of men from the Jonesboro area.

The men on hand for the event were all dressed in Civil War-era costumes and displayed several weapons of the period.

Honnoll said the public response Saturday morning had been positive. Several people had stopped by around 11 a.m. to view the displays and talk to the men, all of whom had ancestors that served with the South during the Civil War.

The Southern Confederate Heritage Park has markers placed in honor of soldiers who served in the war. There is also a flag display, and funds are being raised with the help of Friends of the Foundation and others to erect a statue in honor of soldiers of the South during the Civil War.

“We’re very optimistic at this point that we will be able to raise the money to erect a pedestal and statue,” Honnoll said.

He said the concrete base has already been placed. Honnoll said the pedestal is estimated to cost $40,000 and the statue $50,000.

For more information contact Honnoll, president of the Northeast Arkansas Southern Heritage Foundation Inc., at 935-9830; James Langley, vice president, or M. Ray Jones, treasurer, at 933-7401 or by mail at P.O. Box 16876, Jonesboro 72403.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Auburn City Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell poses with Confederate flags that he removed from graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn.

Katie StallcupStaff writer

Published: April 23, 2009

Mary Norman was shocked Thursday afternoon when Auburn Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell pulled up a Confederate flag placed on her great-grandfather’s grave and snapped it in half, she said.

Dowdell, who denies snapping the flag, said Thursday he was picking up his daughter from Auburn Junior High School near the cemetery when several people told him they “had a problem” with the flags.

He drove to the cemetery and started pulling up flags, he said.

“It’s offensive to me,” he said. “To me, it represents the Ku Klux Klan and racism.”

The United Daughters of the Confederacy placed the flags earlier this week, as they have done for 50 years, in preparation for a celebration Sunday of Confederate Memorial Day, Norman said.

Confederate Memorial Day will be celebrated as a state holiday in Alabama Monday.

“I really didn’t know exactly how to respond to him,” she said. “I happen to be a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. I was very surprised, especially (as he is) a city councilman. I was amazed.”

Norman was not personally involved in placing the flags.

“I’m a historian,” she said. “We’re not about hate, we’re not about anything like that. We just want to honor our state’s rights, and I’ve got Confederate ancestors, and I feel we should have the ability to do that.”

Norman and a friend were taking inventory of graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn when Dowdell drove up and asked who put up the flags, she said.

“One of the flags had been placed on my great-grandfather’s grave, who was a Confederate soldier,” Norman said. “He just got very upset, and he went over to my great-grandfather’s grave, picked up the flag and broke it in two.”

She said Dowdell did not know the plot she stood on was her family’s. The flags were placed on soldiers’ graves as a mark of respect, she said.

He pulled up Confederate flags from other soldiers’ graves, too, she said.

Dowdell said in his years as councilman, he had never seen so many Confederate flags in one place.

“I’m going on the record that this will never happen again,” Dowdell said. “This will never happen again as long as I’m on the city council.”

Dowdell denied intentionally snapping the flag.

“It might have snapped itself,” he said. “If it did, so what? If I had my way, I would have broke them all up and stomped on them and burned them. That flag represents another country, another nation.”

Auburn Mayor Bill Ham said he was unaware of any incidents at the cemetery but said he talked with Dowdell Thursday afternoon. Ham said his understanding was that all city cemeteries have covenants governing how and what types of decorations can be placed on graves, except for Pine Hill because it is so old. Ham said he believed Dowdell asked an assistant city manager to look into making policies equal for cemeteries across the city.

“The bottom line is those grave plots are deeded property,” Ham said. “We sell those. So they are sold to the family of the individuals, and I think (plot owners) have a right to do exactly what they did, according to the city attorney.”

Ham said in his conversation with Dowdell, the councilman suggested the flags be placed on the graves for a shorter period of time, perhaps for 24 hours before the event.

For now, the remaining flags will stay on the graves because of the lack of covenant governing Pine Hill, Ham said. But that could change in coming years.

“I certainly think we need to be consistent in all the cemeteries with whatever the policy is, not only with this, but with everything,” Ham said. “The council has got to make that decision.”

Friday, April 24, 2009

On April 19, 1861, patriotic citizens of Baltimore stood in fierce opposition to members of the 6th Massachusetts Regiment, answering Lincoln’s call to invade the South. Tempers flared, an altercation ensued and soldiers of the Sixth fired indiscriminately into the crowd. Twelve patriotic Marylanders, along with four Federal troops, were killed that day as the first blood of the War Between the States was shed. James Ryder Randall memorialized the events of that day in his poem Maryland My Maryland, which was set to music and adopted by the Maryland Legislature as the official state song in 1939.

Since 1980, resolutions to change the State song have been introduced at hearings before the Maryland General Assembly. This year, House Bill 1241 and Senate Bill 892 were introduced in Committee, proposing to replace the current historical lyrics with an insipid ode lamenting how "we love thy streams and wooded hills, thy mountains with their gushing rills, thy scenes-our heart with rapture fills, Maryland, my Maryland” Ostensibly, these bills were sponsored in response to the petitions of a local elementary school students who found the lyrics “old fashioned” and mean spirited. Apparently, the historically accurate references to Lincoln as “the despot’s heel” and the invading 6th Massachusetts as “Northern scum” offended the sensibilities of the youngsters.

Upon learning of the latest legislative proposals, members of the Maryland Division SCV mobilized to contact their respective State Senators and Delegates in opposition to the proposed bills, as well as local newspapers, and talk radio stations. It was fortunate that members of several Maryland SCV Camps and UDC Chapters came to personally testify before the respective Committees, balancing the media coverage of school children singing the proposed new lyrics to the Legislators. An excerpt of the testimony presented before the Committee included the following:

No State or its citizens suffered more indignities than those bestowed on Marylanders by the hands of the Lincoln administration. While some are critical of the phrase “The despot’s heel is on thy shore”, it is an accurate description of the innumerable violations of Constitutional liberties suffered by Marylander’s which included suspension of habeas corpus, false imprisonment, illegal searches and seizures, suppression of free speech, censorship of the press, voter intimidation, and even the illegal arrest of the duly elected members of the Maryland Legislature. Let this song continue to remind us of the dangers of allowing the government to trump the Constitutional rights of its citizens. Hopefully, you agree that the words penned by James Ryder Randall are entirely appropriate lyrics, befitting Maryland's great historical heritage, and will stand in opposition to any attempt to replace our State song with such meaningless and trite lyrics.

Fortunately, the Legislative session has now ended, without either of the proposed bills being adopted, and Randall’s Maryland My Maryland remains as our official state song for another year. Undoubtedly, this issue will likely be raised again in next year’s Legislative session and we will once again rally in opposition to any attempts to change our beloved state song. In the words attributed to an unreconstructed Maryland Confederate soldier following the war “We’ll fight them to hell freezes over and then we will fight them on the ice”.

Any compatriots wishing to submit an amendment to the Constitution of the Sons of Confederate Veterans or to the Standing Orders of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, to be considered at the Reunion to be held in Hot Springs, Arkansas, July 23-25, should send the proposed Amendment to Judge Advocate-in-Chief Simon B. Buckner IV and Executive Director Ben Sewell at General Headquarters. JAG Bucker's mailing address is 11617 Hemlock St., Overland Park, KS 66210 and General Headquarters can be reached at PO Box 59, Columbia, TN 38402.

Proposed amendments to the Constitution or Standing Orders must be postmarked/date stamped no later than May 15, 2009. Proposed amendments may be e-mailed instead of being sent by US mail. JAG Buckner can be reached at scv@thebucknerhome.com and Executive Director Sewell at exedir@scv.org.

A brief statement as to the rational for the amendment may also be submitted with the proposed change to the Constitution or Standing Orders.

April 27 - The Tippah Tigers Camp 868 Sons of Confederate Veterans , will be holding a memorial service at 2 PM at the Tippah County Courthouse by the Confederate monument, Monday, 27 April, Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi. Guest speakers include Rev. Cecil Fayard, Jr, DMin, Chaplain in Chief of the SCV. All citizens are invited to attend.

AWARDS PROGRAM FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION July 22 - 25, 2009 Hot Springs, Arkansas

PLEASE REPOST TO YOUR DIVISION EMAIL LISTS

The SCV Awards Manual was last revised in February 2006. All awards will be in accordance with this revised edition. The Awards Manual may be downloaded from the SCV website. Previous editions of the Awards Manual are obsolete.

Awards Display

The SCV Awards Display will be set-up for the National Convention in Hot Springs near the SCV Headquarters table by noon on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. This is the drop-off and pick-up point for all SCV awards at the convention.

Camps who wish to participate in this competition should print a copy from the SCV website or they may request one from GHQ if they have no internet access. Entry forms should be sent to:

Compatriot Danny Honnoll

Distinguished Camp Competition

216 Hillpoint Cv

Jonesboro AR 72401

All entries should be on the new form approved effective July 1, 2002. Any forms from previous years will not be valid. Please check and make sure you have the current form. Up-to-date forms are available on the SCV website. Deadline for best camp entry forms is June 15, 2009.

Newsletter Awards

To be entered in the newsletter competition, four (4) copies of each newsletter issued during the eligibility period must be submitted to the National Awards Committee by June 15, 2009. Eligibility period is July 2008 issue through June 2009 issue. See the Awards Manual for all details that must accompany the entry. Newsletters should be sent to:

Compatriot Gary Ayres

SCV Newsletter Competition

3615 S 70th Rd

Humansville MO 65674

Scrapbook and Historical Project Award

Entries for the scrapbook or historical project awards must be delivered to the awards display table not later than 5:00 p.m., Thursday, July 23, 2009. No entries will be accepted after that time. Camps must arrange to pick up their entries on Saturday, prior to the dismantling of the Awards Display Table. Entries not picked up will be discarded at the end of the convention. See the Awards Manual for requirements and details for these awards.

Best Website Award

SCV units interested in competing for the Best Website Award should submit their URL through the link on the front page of the website at www.scv.org no later than June 15, 2009. Judging will be performed by experienced webmasters outside the SCV, based on generally recognized criteria for website excellence. Judging will take place at a randomly chosen time between June 10 and July 10, 2009.

Individual Member Awards

Any nominations for individual member awards should be submitted by the Division Commanders, along with a brief statement citing the reason the particular individual should receive the award, to their respective Army Commanders. The Army Commander will then forward the lists from their Army to GHQ. The lists of proposed award recipients must be submitted to GHQ no later than June 1, 2009 to allow time for Awards Committee review, consultation with and approval by the Commander in Chief, and for the GHQ staff to prepare the awards and include the names in the professionally printed Awards Luncheon Booklet. Award recommendation should be submitted by email to the Army Commanders as a MS word documents attachment. It is important to have the awards lists at GHQ by the June 1 deadline or GHQ will not be able to list your division’s award recipients in the Awards Luncheon souvenir booklet.

Presentation of Awards

All awards will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon on Friday, July 24, 2009 or at the Saturday night banquet on July 25, 2009. Please pick up your award after the luncheon as well as those of men in your camp to take them home with you. This simple process will also save the SCV hundreds of dollars of postage expense and enable the staff to process your dues and new memberships more quickly when they return to GHQ.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

For over 140 years, hardly anyone knew that Delaware had a Confederate history. Delaware citizens who went south to fight during the “War Between the States” 1861-1865 were rarely mentioned in the history books. But now due to research by the “Delaware Grays”, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 2068 in Seaford, information about an estimated 2,000 Delaware Confederates is getting out. And on Saturday May 9th at 1pm, a “Delaware Confederate Heritage” ceremony will be held at the Soldier's Monument, on the grounds of the Marvel Museum, South Bedford Street, Georgetown.

During the ceremony, newly discovered Delaware Confederate's names will be revealed. The Delaware Grays Color Guard will flank the monument with many of the flags of the South, as well as the Delaware state flag. There will be prayers, speeches, a rifle salute, and a cannon salute courtesy of the Richmond Howitzers Artillery unit. Following the festivities, guests will enjoy refreshments courtesy of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Caleb Ross Chapter # 2635. The event is free and the public is invited.

As many as 2,000 Delawareans went south to fight with the Confederacy; many faced persecution and arrest by Federal authorities upon their return and attempted to keep their identities secret, complicating efforts to identify them. Research is on-going and more names will be added to the monument as evidence is uncovered. Anyone with names of possible Delaware Confederate soldiers is asked to contact the Monument Committee through the “Delaware Grays” website at www.DESCV.org.

The Confederate Soldiers Monument at the Marvel Museum in Georgetown is the only one of its kind, recognizing the sacrifices of Delaware Confederate soldiers. Names on the monument include Governor William Henry Harrison Ross and his son Caleb, Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk, Sergeant George Julian Robinson of Georgetown and many others.

The “Delaware Grays”, SCV Camp #2068, based in Seaford, Delaware, is a non-profit, non-political, non-racial, patriotic community organization whose members are descendents of Confederate veterans who served honorably during the “War Between the States”. The non-profit Nutter B. Marvel Museum is located at 510 South Bedford Street, off Rt. 113 and just down from the inspection lane in Georgetown, Delaware. The museum includes a collection of historic buildings and horse drawn carriages as well as thousands of historical photographs, newspaper clippings, books and other memorabilia about Georgetown, Sussex County, and Delaware.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

HOMESTEAD — The Miami-Dade NAACP has asked the school district to bar students from participating in events where Confederate flags and uniforms are displayed.

Brad Brown, the NAACP’s vice president, and Rosemary Fuller, chairperson of the Homestead/Florida City Human Relations Board, met with Miami-Dade Deputy School Superintendent Freddie Woodson on Tuesday, April 14 to request the ban.

Woodson could not be reached for comment about the meeting, and did not return calls about the possible ban, but Fuller expressed optimism.

“He [Woodson] was very concerned and said he is going to try to resolve it,” said Fuller, who said she believes there will likely be counter protests during next year’s Veterans Day parade if Confederate States organizations are allowed to participate, as they did last year.

She said the situation could lead to unrest.

“We’re bringing this to their attention because if these kids go out there, and things get out of hand, we don’t want to see anyone of them harmed because this is a safety issue, as well as one involving civil rights,” she said.

The issue arose late last year after the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce decided to allow the Sons of Confederate Veterans to participate in the 2008 Veterans Day parade the chamber organized on Nov. 11 in Homestead.

Black parade attendees said they were surprised by the display of the Confederate battle flags, and were caught off guard at seeing people dressed in Confederate Army uniforms marching during the event.

African Americans around the country say the Confederate flag is a reminder of slavery in the old South. Supporters of the flag say it is an expression of southern pride.

Homestead city officials said they only provide logistical and in-kind support for the Veterans Day event, and therefore have no say in which groups are allowed. Chamber of Commerce officials insist that this is a matter of free speech, and that they have no intention of banning Confederate States organizations from future parades.

“I have not heard about any requests to the school district regarding the parade. But, I will say that the basic issue here is still legality and civil rights,” wrote Mary Finlan, executive director of the Greater Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce in an email sent to the newspaper. “For example, the city and the chamber have received more complaints (including those from some members of the HRB) about the perceived offensive nature of the dances that were performed by the students who accompanied some of our public middle school and high school bands in the parade, than complaints of any other nature.”

The NAACP is requesting full prohibition on public schools and student participation in events that allow Confederate States groups or their flags. The civil rights organization also plans to ask other parade participants not to take part in the parade if there is Confederate paraphernalia in it.

But he learned only recently that a relative on his father's side fought in the Civil War.

His great-great-uncle William S. Boyette died in Fredericksburg while serving the Confederacy in November 1861.

"He's the only one I can definitely trace to my lineage" on his father's side, said Boyette, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans' North Carolina Division. He said several Civil War soldiers were related to his mother.

Fredericksburg's chapter of the Confederate group unveiled a monument yesterday inscribed with the names of 51 Confederate soldiers, including Boyette's great-great-uncle. It's located at the corner of Barton and George streets, on the same grassy island as the Fredericksburg Area War Memorial.

The soldiers honored yesterday were buried on land now occupied by the Maury Commons condominiums.

The Fredericksburg City Council passed a resolution in 1861 to bury Confederate troops on the property, then a potter's field. The wooden posts marking the graves deteriorated long ago.

"Today, we will remember 51 soldiers buried near us who have been almost completely forgotten," Scott Boyd, chief of staff of the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Matthew Fontaine Maury Camp in Fredericksburg, said during the ceremony.

The local Confederate group raised more than $2,000 for the granite monument, which is topped with a bronze plaque bearing the soldiers' names.

About 40 people attended yesterday's event. It featured a Confederate color guard that fired a three-volley salute and played "Taps." Participants placed a brown hat and gray jacket, of the sort warn by Confederate soldiers, next to the memorial.

The soldiers being honored came from seven states--Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. They were buried from 1861 until 1862, and died of disease before the Battle of Fredericksburg, Boyd said.

The Rev. Alfred M. Randolph of St. George's Episcopal Church presided over their interments, he said.

Roy B. Perry Jr., the local SCV camp's 1st lieutenant commander, did much of the historical research into the unmarked cemetery.

The Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery includes a plaque that honors the troops, Perry said, but it misspells some of their names.

The brand-new monument also gives each soldier's rank and company.

"It's the right thing to do," Perry said. "They deserve to be remembered."

It's unclear whether the soldiers' remains were ever moved to another site, Boyd said.

From old photographs of the graves, he said, it appears the soldiers were buried at least 12 to 18 inches deep.

Local historian Ruth Coder Fitzgerald wrote in The Free Lance-Star that before the football field was built at the old Maury School, "every time it rained, bones came out of the ground."

Boyette, who attended yesterday's event, said he learned about his family's connection to the monument about two weeks ago.

April 27 - The Tippah Tigers Camp 868 Sons of Confederate Veterans, will be holding a memorial service at 2 PM at the Tippah County Courthouse by the Confederate monument, Monday, 27 April, Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi. Guest speakers include Rev. Cecil Fayard, Jr, DMin, Chaplain in Chief of the SCV. All citizens are invited to attend.

April 27 - The Tippah Tigers Camp 868 Sons of Confederate Veterans, will be holding a memorial service at 2 PM at the Tippah County Courthouse by the Confederate monument, Monday, 27 April, Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi. Guest speakers include Rev. Cecil Fayard, Jr, DMin, Chaplain in Chief of the SCV. All citizens are invited to attend.

64th Annual Pine Tree Festival, May 7-9 The Camp McLeod Living History Program & Battle Re-Enactment is presented by the McLeod-Moring Rangers Camp # 1386, Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), and the Emanuel Rangers Chapter 2318 United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC).Location: Swainsboro, Georgia For more information:http://georgiaconfederate.org/scv/index.php?Page=76&SessID=89766&SessID=89766

Friday, April 17, 2009

The old Confederate Reunion Grounds (CRG), which first served as a meeting place for Confederate soldiers’ reunions, later became a playground for Mexiaites who enjoyed picnics, dances in the historic pavilion and even a swimming area.

This weekend, after school children from a wide area visit the grounds for a living history lesson on Friday, the CRG will open to the public Saturday morning at 8 o’clock, featuring continuous “historical” events throughout the day, right up until the gates swing shut at 5 p.m. The grounds will again be opened Sunday morning at 8, and again close to the public at 5 p.m.

In between all of this gate-openings-and-shuttings, a bevy of activities will entertain the public. The full schedule for both days include lots of living history, battle re-enactments, Civil War medical demonstrations, Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry “demos,” and much more.

Opening ceremonies and a Parade at the flag-poles’ area will get things underway.

Refreshments will be for sale during the two-day event, which is sponsored by the Confederate Reunion Grounds State Park Historical Society, Inc. This year’s program is hosted by the 12th Texas Artillery, sanctioned by the Cleburne Division.

Ever since Dixie (she has the given name for these hallowed old grounds) Hoover arrived on the scene, there have been renovations, sprucing up operations, and scheduled events to keep things popping.

The Val Verde cannons will also be on hand for this weekend’s festivities A few highlights include a Chautauqua and Coffee Saturday morning at 9:30 in the 1893 Dance Pavilion. There, Dr. Donald S. Frazier will talk about “The Romance of Secession: Consequences of Disunion in Civil War Louisiana.” A book signing at 10:30 is set for Dr. Frazier. During this signing, two other noteworthy, entertaining features of the big opening day include Buffalo Gap Chips, vintage baseball; and “Women in Trousers: Dress Reform of the 1860s” at the Dance Pavilion.

Catching the attention of many is the Ladies’ Tea, to which the public is invited in the 1893 Dance Pavilion. Another Chautauqua and Coffee at the pavilion centers on Dr. Frazier’s presentation of “Galveston, Texas: The Key ton the Confederate Trans-Mississippi.”

Sunday’s schedule hits with some more Living History and Sutler Camps’ opening.

A Church Service (public invited) will be in the pavilion, beginning at 10 o’clock. Then comes more Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry demonstrations, medical demonstrations and Living History, including battle re-enactments.

This is the 15th annual Civil War Living History and Re-Enactments program at the CRG. Admission to the grounds each day is $5 for adults. Children are admitted free if they are 12 and younger. A two-day pass may be purchased for only $7.50, for admission to both days. This is a Texas Historical Commission project, under a theme of “Real Places Telling Real Stories.”

The event is annually sponsored by the Friends of the Confederate Reunion Grounds as its major annual fundraiser. All gate entry and proceeds from this are retained by the Friends organization to fund future preservation projects, as well as educational and interpretive programming and events. “Your contributions by attending, are greatly appreciated,” emphasizes Dixie Hoover.

Further sponsors of all of this include Brookshire’s Food Store, Coffee Cabaret, HEB Food Stores, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Mike Morton and Spike Morton, all of Mexia; and Lance Chips and Gander Mountain of Corsicana.

I hope you are all well. I write you today to report that we have been officially blocked from displaying our logo on a race car in the Arca race at Rockingham this weekend.

When this journey began back in January, we were assured that our logo had been approved. We originally approached Nascar about the possibility and were turned down, but Arca had approved our design for the race at Daytona. Nascar got involved with the issue at Daytona as they own the track that Arca was racing on and we switched our sponsorship to the Rockingham race. This was done because Nascar had no connection to the Rockingham race, it was fully Arca.

I personally spoke with the owner of the Rockingham racetrack to make sure he would not have any problems. He welcomed our participation and made offers to attract as many SCV members to the race as possible.

We had our green flag and were finishing up the final design when I received a call from our driver, James Hylton. He had just spoken with the president of Arca and he informed him that we could not run a car with the Confederate Flag on it. I then called the president and had a lengthy conversation with him about this matter. He would not agree that we had been given approval although he admitted that a man from his organization had spoken with the man responsible for our contract. We only accepted the contract after we had been given approval by Arca. I explained this but the president was firm. He allowed that we could run our car with our name, website and phone number but not our federally registered logo that is issued on many state license plates. I explained that this is unacceptable and not what our contract allowed.

Therefore, our money is being returned. This points out just how much work we still need to do to vindicate the cause of our ancestors and educate the public on the truth of their symbols. I do not know what good will come from this project but I have hopes. To quote Jack Marlar, "A stable with no horses is always clean." He is right about that and that is why we continue trying to push the envelop and win as many battles as possible.

I had my final meeting with our driver, James Hylton today and presented him with his SCV membership certificate. He was visibly moved to be a part of this great organization even though he had just lost a much needed sponsor. After shaking my hand he covered his head with an SCV cap and told me that from now on, he intends to climb out of his race car, take off his helmet and don that cap. He then said, "Just let them say something about that!"

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

SEGUIN — The sound of “Dixie” filled the air, the Confederate Flag whipped in the wind and men dressed in uniforms that date back to the Civil War gathered around the grave.

They were all there to honor a former Rebel soldier nearly a century after his death.

Family members of Daniel Wayne Ferguson, down to six generations, joined together at San Geronimo Cemetery on Saturday to memorialize the soldier, said Dot Ferguson Hatfield, great-granddaughter.

“The Sons of the Confederate Veterans do this to commemorate the Civil War veterans,” she said. “They dress-up in their period costumes and do this all free to keep the memory of the Confederate soldiers alive within your mind and in your heart.”

Having come from South Carolina, the Fergusons relocated to Lousiana and then to a place where they called home, Hatfield said.

“They came to Texas and were early Texas settlers and lived in this area,” she said. “They got here in about 1855 and into this county, which is Guadalupe County.”

Being one of five sons, Ferguson joined the Confederate efforts with his four brothers around 1862 and served for about two years.

Almost all of the boys returned home, said great grandson Homer Ferguson.

“One was killed, James, and as a matter of fact he did not die instantly,” he said. “He lived six or eight days and died of blood poisoning.”

While the other three returned with war wounds, Ferguson said, Daniel alleged that he had injuries.

“Daniel was the only one that was not wounded,” he said. “He claimed to be wounded because somebody shot his hat off and his boot heel off. He said ‘I was wounded in the Civil War,’ he said that ole’ Yankee cut down on him and the first shot, (he) shot his boot heel off and when he got over the saddle, the next shot he shot his hat off. He said it was his 31st birthday and he thought it would be his last.”

That was not his last birthday — he celebrated many more after that.

Sharing one of his favorite passed down stories, Ferguson told of how his great grandfather came upon a dying Yankee solider and gave him companionship until the soldier passed.

Before passing, the Union soldier offered an act of kindness to Daniel, Ferguson said.

“He looked at Daniel and said ‘I see you don’t have a coat,’” Ferguson said. “So, he got the soldier’s coat and put it on. He started riding toward the camp on this pony when three Union soldiers came charging behind him and he did not realize he was an officer then (by the coat) and they said ‘Come on Captain, the rebels are right up ahead. We want to get up there and get in the action’ and they were really going. So he said he picked [the pony] up on his spurs after they had gone on by and took another route back to camp.”

John Miller Commander of the Texas Bonnie Blue Camp, said he heard about Daniel through a family member.

“Dot Hatfield is a cousin of mine by marriage,” he said. “We had got to talking and she is a big history buff and we were talking about some different graves up there and she told us about her relative here, so, we said OK we’ll do it.”

Having only been chartered since October, the Texas Bonnie Blue Camp No. 869 of San Antonio conducted their first grave dedication with full honors for the soldier including a fiddler’s rendition of “Dixie,” a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” and a nine-gun-salute with three period black-powder riffles.

Along with the SCV honors to the former soldier, two members of the Order of the Confederate Rose, Black Roses, along with any other women who wished to pay tribute to Ferguson, silently approached the grave, with a curtsy of respect before sprinkling rose petals on the site and a curtsy of respect after.

Honoring past Confederate soldiers is not all the SCV does, Miller said.

“A lot of other camps do ceremonies and they do a living history and sometimes the camps go to schools,” he said. “We also do different community projects — like right now we have adopted a nursing home, and we go visit with the seniors at least every other month. We do donations to Ronald McDonald House.”

While some racial hate groups have adopted the Confederate flag as a symbol, Miller said the SCV is not a racist group.

“We are not a hate group, we are just out here to take care of our ancestors and make sure they are done right,” he said. “The Sons of the Confederacy are out here to honor our ancestors.”

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Confederate Cemetery in Keatchie in DeSoto Parish, part of events scheduled in observance of the annual Confederate History Month.

The cemetery is the final resting place of more than 100 Confederate soldiers, many of whom died in local makeshift hospitals following the April 8, 1864 Battle of Mansfield, fought not too many miles away. That battle was the last major Confederate victory of the Civil War and, with the Battle of Pleasant Hill the following day, led to the defeat and retreat of federal forces that had tried to capture Shreveport to knock Texas out of the war in a campaign planned personally by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

The memorial is being staged by the Shreveport-based Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Taylor was the Confederate field commander at both battles.

The Keatchie Confederate Cemetery is on state Highway 172, about a mile west of the crossroads at Keatchie in DeSoto Parish

It didn't come with a bow or wrapping paper, but a very big gift was presented to the nation on Good Friday near Spotsylvania Courthouse. South Carolinians arrived early yesterday on the most storied part of the Civil War battlefield, bearing a 61/2-ton present from their home.The volunteers, aided by a couple of Virginians, loosened the ties on a 9-foot-tall monument they trucked 470 miles from Laurens, S.C. A crane carefully swung and lowered the granite onto a pre-made concrete bed, decorated with a Confederate battle flag for the occasion.Their handiwork, set between a path and a tree line, will be the first thing that visitors see when they tour the Spotsylvania battlefield's famed Bloody Angle--scene of what the National Park Service says was the most prolonged hand-to-hand combat of the whole war.

"If you have any Southern ancestors that fought for the Confederacy, it's something that everybody is going to be proud of," said Gary Davis, an officer of the Sons of Confederate Veterans camp in Laurens that created the monument.

"It wasn't just South Carolinians. There were North Carolinians, Louisianians, Mississippians all the way down through here," Davis said, motioning back and forth toward the sector's well-preserved trench lines, now part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. "It's a rarity to get a monument put in a national park these days, and we've done that."

The imposing new memorial honors the South Carolina brigade--five regiments, with some1,300 troops--commanded by Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan during the fierce fighting there on May 12, 1864.

Davis' SCV camp is named for the general, a Laurens County native wounded as 2,500 Confederates rushed to plug the breach a Union attack blew in a mule-shoe-shaped bulge in the Southerners' line. Fighting without relief or support for 18 to 20 hours, McGowan's Brigade repelled the Northerners and held the earthworks at what became known as the "Bloody Angle" until Gen. Robert E. Lee could create a second defensive line.

Until yesterday, there was no marker to the valor of the South Carolina men who held off wave after wave of Union attackers at Spotsylvania Court House on May 12, 1864. To seal a gap in the Confederate defenses that threatened to tear apart his army, Gen. Robert E. Lee tried to lead forward the Mississippi Brigade until they persuaded him to return to the rear.

Nearby, South Carolina Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan's brigade also surged ahead. About 80 yards from the front line, McGowan was wounded and knocked out of action. Under fire and without its leader, the brigade kept going, dislodging the 26th Michigan and retaking trenches the Northern men had seized.

Still the attack raged on, with waves of Union troops emerging from a gully to close within yards of the Southerners. Hand-to-hand combat ensued, with the desperate fighting lasting 18 to 20 hours. Across a 200-yard-long stretch of earthworks, writes historian Mac Wyckoff, "soldiers shot, clubbed, stabbed and hacked at their foe through rain and mud. Not even lightning strikes and darkness put an end to the struggle."

The actions of McGowan's men--which cost the brigade some 450 casualties, more than a third of its total strength--"saved Lee's army," Wyckoff said.

The following is a synopsis of the meeting of the General Executive Council teleconference held on Tuesday April 7 at 7 PM CST.

1.Meeting began with an opening prayer.

2.Discussion of the McLaren License Plate Case was held. The GEC voted, after a lengthy discussion, not to provide additional funding, but will recommend the Tennessee and Mississippi Divisions use funds generated from the sale of the SCV logo license plates to pay legal costs associated with defending the plates.

3.The CSS Neuse II, located in Kinston NC, was discussed. The operators of the foundation which owns Neuse II requested assistance from the SCV to cover the insurance premiums and debts owed by the Neuse. The GEC voted to provide a grant to cover the cost of insurance for one (1) year and to provide the Neuse II foundation with expertise in fundraising methods with the aim of the foundation raising the funds needed for the operation of the Neuse II.

4.The GEC considered the request from an expelled member to have his appeal heard by the GEC. The GEC voted to deny the request.

5.The GEC voted to accept the offer to purchase an 8 acre parcel of property immediately adjacent to Elm Spring. The negotiations over the property have been going on since approximately 2000. The property will be purchased for 200K. This property extends to the existing fence and tree lines near Elm Springs and gives the SCV control of the access road to the rear of Elm Springs.

6.At the March 28, 2009 GEC meeting the possibility of holding fund raising dinners was discussed. After further investigation and consultation it appears the IRS restrictions on holding raffles make the likelihood of these dinners being successful fundraisers unlikely. No vote was taken on this matter.

Bill honoring Alabama's 1st black lawmakers signedMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- It took 15 months of working six days a week, eight hours each day, before doctoral student Richard Bailey gathered enough information for his dissertation on Alabama's first black officeholders. These were men who cleared a path for politicians of color that would eventually lead to the White House.

Information on the forgotten trailblazers, many of them former slaves, was hard to come by as their groundbreaking work during Reconstruction had largely faded from memories and history books.

Alabama took a step toward reversing that Tuesday when Gov. Bob Riley signed a resolution to honor the men by having plaques bearing their names displayed around the grounds of the State Capitol, its rotunda and inside the entrance to the Alabama Statehouse.

"I'm just humbled today. I feel like I could cry," said Bailey, whose 1984 dissertation became the state's first study of the former lawmakers. "I worked so hard trying to get those guy's names in print and get their achievements understood and we're finally on the brink of that hour."The resolution passed the Alabama House and Senate on unanimous votes this session. Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, introduced the bill after being contacted by Martha O'Rourke-Arrow whose great-great-grandfather, Shandy Wesley Jones, was the first black person elected from Tuscaloosa and served in the state Legislature from 1868-1870.

O'Rourke-Arrow now lives in Mississippi but traveled to Montgomery to attend the signing ceremony with her aunt and uncle. "I'm very happy. The dream is culminating," she said from the Old House Chambers where her great-great-grandfather once worked and a Confederate flag stands in the front. "I can't wait to meet some of the other decedents and share in the dedication of the memorial plaques. I'm hoping now we'll get the national coverage and get even more people to respond."

O'Rourke-Arrow's goal is to have all states recognize their earliest black officials and to have their descendants learn about their work and get in touch with each other. She's put out her marrow50@bellsouth.net e-mail address in hopes of connecting with more.Bailey said 100 black men served in Alabama's Legislature from 1867 to 1878 and three others served in the U.S. Congress.

The men's accomplishments were even more stunning considering the tumultuous time period and the fact that many had been regarded as property before they became politicians, Riley said. "Sometimes it's hard for us to imagine what that period must have been like," he said."Free men and newly freed slaves alike bravely decided to take an active role in building a new Alabama and a new South," he said. "The road that led us ... to have a black president serving the United States started here."

Members of the Alabama Black Caucus attended the ceremony along with Mike Hubbard, leader of the state's Republican party, who recognized the men for their courage and said the party was proud "to call these men true pioneer members of our party."But not everyone was pleased.

Robert Reames, Alabama Division Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans sent Riley a letter expressing "outrage" that the black legislators were honored but the month of April has not been recognized as Confederate History and Heritage Month.

"It is inconceivable to us that these men who were put in office by a carpetbagger government bent on the subjugation, looting, and pillage of Alabama, could be considered to be worthy of positive recognition," he wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Archives and History Director Ed Bridges said the state still has long struggles ahead in reconciling its past with its future. "No one or two or even 100 events like this will solve the problems but each one is a positive step forward," he said.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Most students at Furman would be unaware that April is designated as Confederate History Month in many Southern States if Junior Will McNutt had not recently brought it to their attention. This month is officially recognized by the states of Alabama, Florida, Virginia, Mississppi, Texas, and Louisiana. On March 12, 2009, the Georgia State Senate passed a bill declaring April as Confederate Heritage and History Month. While South Carolina has yet to pass such a bill, Monday, May 11 is officially Confederate Memorial Day on the State Holiday Calendar.

McNutt began his educational campaign on March 31 when he posted this story on Student News. However, the real discussion about Confederate History Month came when he placed a banner in the DH which recognized the month and had an outline of the Confederate States. The banner also featured two of the Confederate National Flags and the more recognizable Battle Flag. When asked why he decided to raise awareness about this holiday month on campus McNutt stated, “As a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I have been aware of this and other historical holidays for quite some time. I feel that the war between the states is an important part of American history. The men who fought and died for South Carolina, and the entire Confederacy for that matter, deserve to be honored.”

Discussion regarding the banner has centered in the DH, and now many First Class conferences are abuzz with discussion. McNutt has personally received mainly positive feedback with words of support coming from students, faculty, and staff. However, Wednesday night the banner was torn down. After fixing it, McNutt replaced the banner with it only to be torn down again by two female students during Friday’s lunch. This incident kept us from including a picture of the banner previously described.

Some students on campus have complained that such a banner in a prominent place may turn off prospective students or promote a negative image of the school. McNutt told The Belltower Voice that he has “great sympathy for the individual who would think less of Furman because they allow an open forum for ideas and opinions” and that he is thankful that Furman is not so obsessed with impressing people on admissions tours that it hides opinions which some might find offensive. Other students believe the symbols on the banner are racist or oppressive and have no place in today’s society, especially among educated students at Furman.

Such controversy over free speech is nothing new at Furman. From the Kinsey Sicks to George W. Bush, this issue seems to come up annually. The Helmsman states, “Students are guaranteed freedom of inquiry and expression,” and the network policy states that, “Furman University encourages a free and open forum for personal expression. This includes viewpoints that are unorthodox or unpopular.”

Even so, Furman also has policies in The Helmsman which some organizations believe clearly and substantially limit the freedom of speech on campus. Such regulations include, “This University should not be expected to provide a platform for persons who would be obscene, who would advocate immorality or who would incite to violence. Such persons are offensive to the purposes of a liberal arts college that aspires to academic excellence under Christian influences.” Further, a Disorderly Conduct section states that a violation could include, “9. Public display or distribution of any material containing language that includes, but is not limited to, profanity, obscenity or any other offensive communication not in keeping with community standards is prohibited.”

Thus far, the administration has not enforced any of the above regulations in regards to the banner and seems to be abiding by their guarantee to freedom of inquiry and expression. Will this freedom continue to be tolerated at Furman or will students continue to limit McNutt’s desire to recognize those veterans who fought during “the war between the states?”

Monday, April 6, 2009

The following is a synopsis of the meeting of the General Executive Council held at Elm Spring, Columbia, Tennessee on Saturday March 28, 2009. The meeting began at 8:30 AM.

1.Meeting began with an opening prayer, pledge and salute and the reading of The Charge

2.Executive Director reported on the efforts to secure a new logo bearing credit card for use by the members of the SCV. Securing a new affinity credit card with an SCV logo does not look promising at this point.

3.Adjutant in Chief Mark Simpson reported on:

A. Adoption of the GEC Minutes from the meeting at Elm Springs on 10/04/08 and the teleconference of 12/16/08. Minutes adopted.

B. Update of the Membership Renewal System (MRS). A number of Divisions willadopt the MRS for the fiscal year 2009-2010, including HQ Camp No. 584.Motion to support the decision of the CiC and Ex Dir for the MRS to be used for GHQ Camp # 584 approved unanimously.

CIC McMichael requests start up loans up to $500.00 be provided to Divisions to assist in the implementation of the MRS with the stipulation that the loan be repaid to GHQ within in 18 months - Motion adopted.

C. The Budget and Finance Committee Report: Six requests for funds were reviewed but none were approved. The B and F Committee recognizes the value and merit of the requests, however, the recommendation is to have a moratorium on grants due to the losses in the SCV's investments. All requests can be resubmitted for consideration at the next GEC meeting Past

CIC Wilson recommended that a review of the investment guidelines be conducted.

Budget and Finance Committee report was adopted.

4.The Time and Place Committee reported their recommendation to the GEC for hosting the 2012 Reunion. There were four bids to host the 2012 Convention . The Time and Place Committee recommended the bid of Camp No. 33 of Murfreesboro, TN contingent upon the Camp firming up some items presented in their bid. The General Executive Council voted to accept the bid with this condition.

5.Chief of Heritage Defense Frank Earnest reported on the McClarin Case in Tennessee. This case involves a Mississippi Compatriot, who has a state (MS) issued SCV license plate on his car, that worked in Tennessee and was discharged from his job because of the license plate. The General Executive Council had voted funds for this case at the October meeting and since then the Mississippi Division and The Tennessee Division have provided funds. It was determined at the GEC meeting that more information is needed before any additional action should be taken by the GEC relative to this case.

6.Lt. Commander in Chief Michael Givens reported the following:

A. Membership as of Friday, March 27 is 28,611. This includes 48 Real Sons, 3410 Life Members and there are 332 Cadets.

B. The scv.org web page will in the future have information on it in a variety of languages.

C. The SCV logo race car is scheduled to run at Rockingham, NC on Sunday April 19.

Details will be posted has the event approaches.

D. The traveling display / kiosk that camps can borrow from GHQ for use at festival, gun shows and other public events is being used and was not present at GHQ as a camp has it deployed.

E. The initiative to bring in former members was discussed and it so far has retrieved 553 members who had dropped their membership. This initiative has also raised over 19K in dues and donations from these members who have now reinstated their membership in the SCV. Lists of former members from the various divisions that did NOT renew are available so the divisions can attempt to contact these men if they choose to do so.

7.The GEC voted to donate the statue of Jefferson Davis, his son and Jim Limber to Beauvoir based on the written request from the Board of Directors of Beauvoir. It will be located in a place of honor at the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library which will open in (approximately) 2011. The previous Presidential Library at Beauvoir, opened in 1998, was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Donations are needed to finalize payment for the statue.

8.Harris Connect made a presentation concerning publishing a new version of the SCV membership directory. The last membership directory was published in 2006 by Harris Connect. The new edition will be a Sesquicentennial Edition and can include up to 2 photos submitted by each SCV member who chooses to contribute his information to be used in the directory. Members will also be able to submit the names of up to five (5) ancestors for inclusion. The GEC voted to work with Harris Connect to publish the new directory. More will be announced on this project as the information becomes available.

9.Loy Mauch, Chairman of the Hot Springs Reunion Committee, gave a presentation / progress report on the upcoming reunion this summer. Those hosting reunions are required to give in person reports to the GEC on a yearly basis.

10. The GEC reviewed the latest information / offer concerning the purchase of a tract of land adjacent to the land where Elm Springs is situated. The discussion with the land owner is continuing.

11.Past Commander in Chief Chris Sullivan gave a report on the status of the Mt. Jackson Cemetery. Past CIC Sullivan has been investigating what might be done at Mt. Jackson Cemetery to fulfill the request of Coiner Rosen, who had left a large donation to the SCV. The GEC voted to ask the trustees to seek a clear title and the GEC would then provide funds for the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery .

12.South Carolina Division Commander Randy Burbage and Compatriot Trip Wilson gave a presentation on the proposed SCV JROTC Award. The South Carolina Division has been giving this award and requested it be sanctioned by the GEC to be issued to JROTC members outside of South Carolina. Currently the SCV is not officially listed in the JROTC awards manual as an approved provider of awards. The SCV becoming an officially recognized awarding organization will be perused. Commander Burbage stated that the administration of this award in South Carolina had been under the supervision of Compatriot "Trip" Wilson, a retired Master Chief Petty Officer. The expansion of this award beyond South Carolina will also be administered by Compatriot Wilson. The GEC agreed to this proposal.

13. Past Commander in Chief Ron Wilson and Denne Sweeney presented a proposal for the SCV to hire an experienced man in the area of fund raising dinners and auctions similar to those conducted by the NRA and Ducks Unlimited. This matter is undergoing further investigation to determine if it will be viable given the IRS restrictions on raffles.

14.Past CIC Sweeney made a proposal concerning modifications to the way the SCV selects the sites for and operates national Reunions. The proposal would establish a partnership between the General Organization and local camp(s) to organize Reunions. In order to implement the changes necessary to put this new approach into effect, amendments to the Constitution and Standing Orders would be required. The GEC was favorable to looking further at implementing Past Commander Sweeney's proposal.

15. ANV Commander Brag Bowling gave a report on the S. D. Lee Institute's recent meeting in Charleston, SC. He reported that 260 attended the seminar, the largest group to date. The next S. D. Lee Institute will be held at the Music City Sheraton in Nashville, TN on February 26 and 27, 2010. In 2011 it will return to Charleston, SC.

16.The General Executive Council approved the design for the certificates for the General Jo Shelby Award, The David O. Dodd Award and the War Service recognition.

17.The GEC voted that it would consider licensing the use of the Sesquicentennial Logo if and when a proposal is made to the SCV.

18.The GEC voted to create the SCV Sesquicentennial Society. This will be an honorary organization for those who wish to show an extra level of support for the Sesquicentennial. The cost of membership will be $200.00. Those that join the society will receive a certificate and medal recognizing their membership. The Society will accept members beginning in the near future but no one may join after December 31, 2015.

19.A new web page specifically designed for recruiting will be created and will have the web address 1800MYDIXIE.COM.

Regan Hill photoJohn Barkley of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans and nephew of the late Joe Fox, honors his uncle during graveside services at Iredell Memorial Gardens Friday morning.

By Jim McNallyStatesville R&L

Published: April 4, 2009

For most members of the Civil War aficionado group Sons of the Confederate Veterans, the name was something of a symbolic gesture to an ancestor, two or three or more generations away.

That was not the case with Joe Fox.

The 98-year-old Statesville man, who died Monday and was buried Friday, was literally the son of a Confederate soldier. His father, Albert Fox, served valiantly under famed Southern leader Gen. Robert E. Lee and was seriously wounded in 1864 in a battle near Pittsburgh.

"It is amazing to think about the amount of time and the history that took place during the lives of this one generation: this father and son," said Joe Fox's great-nephew, C. Wilson White. "Grandpa Albert was born in 1845, when the country had what must have been its 12th or 13th president."

Depending on what month Albert Fox was born, the United States executive branch was controlled by either John Tyler or James K. Polk, who was inaugurated in March 1845 as the nation's 11th president. Albert Fox would lose his right arm as a result of injuries and learn to write with his left, White recalls in the family lore of his great grandfather.

"And I've seen his writing and it's a lot nicer and prettier than mine," White said. "He was a very successful farmer and even served two terms in the state House of Representatives."

Albert Fox married twice. His first wife died near the turn of the 20th century and, while in his 60s, he married a woman about half his age and very close to the age of his grown children. Joe Fox, born in December 1910, was the middle child of that union.

While, in terms of history, those who were first in one endeavor or another are given special places, the Fox family dominates the Iredell County registry on Civil War lasts.

Friday, April 3, 2009

HOMESTEAD -- The NAACP and other civil rights groups have joined black Homestead residents in seeking to ban the Confederate flag and groups that support it from city-sanctioned festivities.

''That flag is flown to strike fear in people, and it's no different than a swastika being displayed in front of Jews,'' said Brad Brown, vice president of the Miami-Dade NAACP.

The issue came to a head on Nov. 11 during the 2008 Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce parade, when organizers allowed Confederate army organizations to participate in Veterans Day ceremonies and display Confederate flags.

City officials said they did not organize the parade. Parade organizers, who are linked to the local chamber of commerce, defended their right to display the flag.

''I've been going to the Veterans Day parades here for nearly 40 years, and for the first time to see Confederate Army soldiers marching among black people was shocking,'' said Rosemary Fuller, a lifelong Homestead resident who chairs the city's Human Relations Board.

She is also a member of the Miami-Dade County Equal Opportunity Board.

''It's insulting, disrespectful and a slap in the face,'' she said.

Brown agreed.

''I find it curious how they decided to allow this right after the country elected its first African-American president,'' Brown said. ``We will not let this die. We plan to take other actions, which I'm not prepared to disclose at this time.''

Jerome Williams, who is black, is chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. He said the organization's Military Affairs Committee made the decision to have the Sons of Confederate Veterans in the parade.

''They [the Military Affairs Committee] are members of the chamber, but they have a separate organizational structure and funding source,'' Williams explained. ``We at the chamber do not organize the parade. It was their decision, and the committee does not answer to us.''

Williams said he is aware of the controversies surrounding the flag, and he questions why they are only now being raised in Homestead.

''I think the Confederate soldiers have always been in the parade. I've seen them there,'' he said. ``So, why is it an issue this time? I understand the debate, but I've done my own research and realize there were many black people in the Confederacy.''

Jeffrey Wander is the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee, which organized the parade. He could not be reached about the controversy, but in a letter to the city's Human Relations Board that Fuller chairs, he defended the decision to include Confederate organizations.

''The MAC [Military Affairs Committee] has been inclusive and has not discriminated nor censored any participants in the parade,'' Wander wrote in a March 6 letter. ``The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) were praised for their community work by Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The Confederate Battle Flag has been usurped as a negative symbol by disreputable groups.''

Indeed, the Ku Klux Klan and other racist hate groups have incorporated the Confederate Battle Flag into their message.

Wander did not respond to messages left at the Chamber of Commerce about his letter, but it has drawn support from the SCV.

To amend Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, so as to create Confederate Heritage and History Month; to provide for legislative findings; to encourage observances and celebrations of Confederate Heritage and History Month; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.Chapter 4 of Title 1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to holidays and observances, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:"1-4-20.

(a) The General Assembly hereby finds and determines that tourism is a great economic resource in Georgia; and historical, heritage, and cultural inheritance are among the tourism industry's most popular attractions. Georgia's Confederate heritage, physical artifacts and battle sites, and historic events and persons not only attract visitors, they are potentially of even greater importance and benefit to our state's economy. Increased development of our state's Confederate history and heritage as part of the tourism industry will be enhanced through recognizing, celebrating, and advertising that heritage and history.

(b) The month of April of each year is hereby designated as Confederate History and Heritage Month and shall be set aside to honor, observe, and celebrate the Confederate States of America, its history, those who served in its armed forces and government, and all those millions of its citizens of various races and ethnic groups and religions who contributed in sundry and myriad ways to the cause which they held so dear from its founding on February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, until the Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah sailed into Liverpool Harbor and surrendered to British authorities on November 6, 1865.

(c) Officials and departments of state, county, and municipal governments, boards of education, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, businesses, and all citizens are encouraged to participate in programs, displays, and activities that commemorate and honor our shared history and cultural inheritance throughout each April during Confederate History and Heritage Month."

SECTION 2.All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia House has voted to designate April Confederate Heritage and History month.

The House's vote Wednesday follows a Senate vote a few weeks ago to celebrate the Confederate States of America. Under the program, governments, schools, businesses and Georgia residents would be encouraged to participate in programs throughout the month.

Supporters pitched it as a boon to the state's tourism industry that would encourage visitors to come to Georgia's Civil War battlefield sites.

The bill would go to Gov. Sonny Perdue if the Senate signs off on minor changes.

TAMPA - A park memorializing Confederate veterans will officially open April 25 with cannon fire, live music and re-enactors impersonating famous Southern generals.The park, near the junction of Interstates 4 and 75, gained notoriety last summer when the Sons of Confederate Veterans raised a 30-by-50-foot Confederate flag there. In October, the group replaced the first flag with a larger one.

The veterans group said they raised the flag to draw attention to the 1.9-acre memorial park at its base. David McCallister, a lawyer and officer with the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said the park was built to relate the "actual history of the Confederacy that is not subject to the politically correct whims of today."

"It's not all about slavery," McCallister said. "There were a lot of social and political issues involved. We want to bring about a dialogue on those issues and remember the history and honor the memory of our ancestors."

McCallister said the veterans group decided to build the park and hoist the flag after the Hillsborough County Commission failed to acknowledge Confederate Memorial Day with a proclamation in April 2007. It was the first time in memory the commission did not mark the day or proclaim April as Southern Heritage Month.

Some commissioners and civil rights activists have denounced the gigantic flag as a painful reminder of the system that enslaved blacks before the Civil War. McCallister and others say Confederate soldiers were Americans and due the same respect as other veterans of the nation's wars.

The dedication ceremony will be Saturday April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park located at 10418 U.S. Highway 92, Tampa. For more information, go to www.tampaflag.info.